


A Little Light Of Love

by waywardrogue



Series: Growing Up Is Optional [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Cute things, Gen, just drabbles, no intended ships, no ships atm, sad things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-08 19:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12260847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardrogue/pseuds/waywardrogue
Summary: 100 words, 100 prompts. All Kili (and Fili) centric.





	1. Birth

**Author's Note:**

> This list is from here.  
>  Sister work by LilliputianDuckling- Six Thousand Years Young.  
> If you’d like to join this madness, please feel free to message me so I can link you here.

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It was no secret that childbirth was difficult for dwarves. When Dís had Fíli, it was-- difficult for her, to say the least. Fíli, born with hair like the sun and eyes blue as the ocean, had cried much when he was born. His cries filled the room, and Dís- though exhausted- held him close once she’d gotten him back from her brother and, of course, the boy’s father. She held Fíli to her chest, and he’d finally quieted, holding her finger. 

 

Fíli grew fast. Curious about everything, when he could walk on his own, he ran. He learned quicker than lightening and always asked  _ why _ . Fíli always had to know, nothing would go beneath the blonde’s radar.  

 

When his mother became pregnant a second time- (“Thank Mahal”, they’d said) Fíli was pulled aside by his uncle, who fixed the five year old with a very serious stare. The intensity of Thorin’s gaze startled the young dwarf, but he stared back boldly, his hands clutching the edges of his shirt. 

 

“Fíli,” Thorin’s voice was far gentler than his eyes suggested. “You’re going to be a big brother now and you need to be aware of the responsibilities that comes with.” 

 

The blonde listened intently, nodding quickly. He was ready to absorb whatever knowledge his uncle was about to bestow upon him- and Thorin continued speaking, “Being a big brother means you have to watch out for your little brother, no matter what. If anything should happen, you and your brother should always stick together, and watch each other’s backs.” There was an emotion on Thorin’s face that the young dwarf did not recognize, could not name or place yet (and Thorin hoped he’d never have to). “Most important of all, you two will always have one another.” Thoughts of his own brother, and Thorin’s expression was so lost on the little one. Then, gently, he ruffled thick blonde hair. 

 

When Kíli was born, he only cried a short while. He was passed from arms to arms, Fíli sat on the bed at his mother’s side and was last to hold his baby brother with some guidance. While his mother dozed in exhaustion, and the other adults chattered nearer the door, the blonde cradled his little brother with wide eyes.  _ He’s so small _ , Fíli marveled, watching as Kíli wrapped his chubby baby fingers around one of Fíli’s and holding tight. 

 

“I’ll be right here for you, Kíli,” Fíli promised out loud, smiling down at his brother. The baby dwarf stared up at him with dark eyes, uncomprehending of what was said to him- but that was okay, Fíli thought, because it was a promise and even if Kíli didn’t know of it, Fíli would keep his promise. Even at five, the little one was filled with determination- he would keep his baby brother safe. And maybe that day was one that would stand out most in his memories, in every underlying action for as long as he lived- his  _ responsibilities  _ as an older brother. Even being the crown prince would not shake him from his promise- Kíli meant the world to Fíli in a moment, and Fíli would come to mean the world to Kíli. As they grew, their bond only strengthened, always at one another’s side. 

 

The day Kíli was born, Fíli learned that protecting his little brother was the strongest motivation- without even realizing it to be so. 

 

And, of course, the two were naturally mischievous, born poor royals with little to do past training and learning and hearing stories of a home long lost. They would have a long way to go, but come what may, Fíli and Kíli would do it together. 


	2. Enthusiasm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili and Fili shirking studies to enjoy a nice day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, Fí?” They were supposed to be studying- that was the deal, they were _supposed_ to be studying, but Kíli either wasn’t interested or couldn’t focus. It was hard for anyone outside of his head to tell-- hell, it was even hard for Kíli to tell. The dwarrows sat together with a few books strewn about, Fíli’s attention was on his work.

 

Kíli’s-- was not. He was balancing the chair on its hind legs, not necessarily an easy feat and by far not a smart one.

 

“Put the chair down, Kí, or you’ll fall,” the blonde hadn’t even glanced up from his reading. Kíli scowled at his brother as he lowered the chair to its proper placement, waiting for blue eyes to look up. When it didn’t happen, he gave a huff and leaned back again.

 

“I’m bored.”

 

“You should do your work,” Fíli understood- of _course_ he did. It sucked to be stuck inside when it was a decent enough day out, and they could be exploring or hunting or something _other_ than being cooped up with books. But he’d promised his mother while she was busy for the day that he would make sure he and his brother finished their work.

 

Kíli was… less than interested in doing so. And the huff he gave at his brother’s words was enough evidence to support that idea. Kíli wanted to go outside- sitting still was difficult for the younger dwarf, he had too much energy for his own good. Honestly, Fíli found it amusing. While he was the more subdued of the two of them, he still enjoyed watching his brother hop from place to place excitedly, eager to _do_ , not just read about how to do. Kíli would rather jump in with both feet and having next to no knowledge on the topic rarely bothered him. Fíli, on the other hand, liked to know why. He liked to be prepared.

 

It would probably do them a world of good in the long run.

 

There was a scuffle, the younger’s best attempt at quiet- Fíli looked up. Kíli was already half way away from the table, and the blonde couldn’t help the exasperated eye roll.

 

“I’ll make you a deal, Kíli,” he started, gathering their books and supplies. “We can sit outside, but only if you promise to get your work done while we’re out there.” It wasn’t so much that Fíli _wanted_ to be stern with his brother as he _had_ to be- he’d made a promise after all.

 

Kíli’s face split into a wide grin. “Deal!” He dashed back to the table and grabbed his things before sprinting outside, Fíli following behind. Together, the two found a spot to settle where they could watch others pass as they worked on their studies-- and it started off well. Really! And earnest effort was made, Fíli managed to get about halfway through his work before Kíli was snatching it from him and shoving it to the side, tugging his older brother to his feet.

 

“C’mon, c’mon~ We can finish the rest in a bit, let’s move-” And then Kíli took off.

 

To say that he was surprised would be a lie- Kíli was ahead of Fíli, making his way to the market, which meant _trouble_ , which Fíli would be right beside his brother for.

 

Really, Kíli had too much zest for life, bounding ahead and diving through crowds as though he were on some grand adventure. His imagination ran away with him- or perhaps he ran away with it. Either way, Kíli was gone in the crowd, excitedly reliving tales of old they’d been told at bedtime, or snuck out to listen to the elders talk about--

 

His excitement got him busted as he crashed into another dwarf who immediately fixed him with a disappointed glare.

 

“I oughtta tell your mother.” Despite their lost home, royalty was still royalty among the dwarves, and that made the boys, sons of Dís, no exception. And if anyone knew how to get her children to cooperate, it was Dís. It was no secret that Kíli prefer to shirk his work and enjoy his day.

 

Fíli met his brother halfway, laughing at the dour look on the younger’s face. “Busted?” He inquired.   
  
“Only if you let them get you down.” Kíli grinned, mischief on his face, and Fíli couldn’t help but grin back. The brunet grasped his brother’s arm and tugged him along, out of sight of chiding eyes.

 

“We _could_ just finish our work,” Fíli suggested, though he knew better- and truthfully, he was fine wandering around instead of sitting down for a little while.

 

Kíli scoffed at the idea. “Or we could keep walking like we’re _going_ to finish our work-”

 

“-And get into more trouble.” Fíli finished with a laugh and the two ducked into the crowd, looking for something else to do.

 

Anyone who didn’t know dwarrows wouldn’t know how very passionate they were- but emotions ran deep within them, powerful as the tide. Kíli knew better than most how easy it was to be swept up in his emotions- his enthusiasm for life. He was happy to be outside, he was happy to listen to the stories they were told, to close his eyes and pretend to be-- somewhere far away. They were poor here, but they were told about how they were _royals_ \- Fíli would be the heir, if they ever took back  Erebor.

  
That was a story though- a faraway place and time; a future, maybe, where they returned to the Lonely Mountain. But that wasn’t the _present_ for them- the here and now. Kíli’s focus was getting to enjoy the day with his older brother. That was all he needed for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to be apart of the collection, please message me! I'll gladly add a co-creator so you can join in the series shenanigans.


	3. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “D’you think dad would’ve loved me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kíli did not remember his father as well as he’d have liked. He was young, when his father died (fighting valiantly, so the story went)- and it left Kíli with next to no memories of the man. He was sure he loved him simply for having been his father- but would they have gotten along? Would Kíli have understood his dad, or would his father have been stern? Would he dislike such a reckless child? 

 

Fíli had assured his brother that  _ yes, dad would have loved you, _ but it wasn’t enough. And Thorin- for his part- stepped in to help Dís with her boys. After all, he was more or less grooming Fíli to be his heir, though that didn’t mean he was there for Fíli alone. Still, sometimes, Kíli wondered. He was told he would never know the weight his brother would bear. As a youngling, he didn’t understand what it meant, though as he got older he grasped the meaning, even if he didn’t _ feel _ it. He would never know,  could only surmise, and even then that didn’t make it real. 

 

Kíli struggled more with wondering about his lost father. He did his best to keep this curiosity to himself- a difficult task for the brunet indeed. It lasted all of two weeks  _ at best _ before something was done about it. He’d become particularly “broody” as Fíli had called it when his younger brother disconnected from him- and even went so far as to miss a  _ single _ meal. 

 

That was enough of an alarm, and after some discussion, it was Thorin who sought out the youngest of the line. 

 

“Kíli?” He’d found the brunet pressed into a small alcove, away from plain sight. “...What troubles you?” 

 

Dark eyes glanced up, brows drawn into a furrow. Kíli looked--- upset, knees drawn to his chest, arms around his legs. Thorin’s features softened as he kneeled before the troubled dwarf, but the only response he received was a shake of brown waves before Kíli buried his face in his knees. Whatever he asked was muffled by fabric, and earned an eyeroll from the elder dwarf. 

 

“Try that again. Without muffling yourself.” Thorin tilted his head towards the youngling, listening close. Still, it was hard to catch what exactly Kíli was saying- something about “dad” but that was all Thorin could make out. He snorted. 

 

Kíli looked up again, wide dark eyes watering. “D’you think dad would’ve loved me?” 

 

Taken aback by the question, Thorin’s brows arched his upon his forehead. The question, in his mind, seemed ridiculously preposterous. Of  _ course _ Kíli was well beloved, why else would his father have fought so hard to keep his boys safe? But the child didn’t seem to grasp that. With a sigh, unsure of  _ how _ exactly to handle this, Thorin shifted to sit beside Kíli’s hiding spot, his back against stone. 

 

“I  _ know  _ he would have, Kíli,” there was no small amount of confidence in Thorin’s voice- he  _ knew _ , beyond a shadow of doubt, that Víli would have so adored Kíli. While he had not been particularly close to Víli- mostly due to extenuating circumstances- he knew Dís’s Love had been one who would adore his children with every fiber of his being. Víli had worked hard, wanting to give his boys the best he could-- 

 

Thorin was drawn from his musings by the youngling climbing into his lap, and the elder dwarf immediately hugged the crying child. Kíli was emotional, that much was certain- but his uncle said nothing, only held the child, unsure of how else to help. For a while the two sat like that, until the brunet had calmed and Thorin just continued to hug him, canting his head to one side. “Is that what’s been bothering you so lately, Kíli?” He inquired softly, watching as Kíli nodded shyly. 

 

Who could blame him for wondering? Kíli had next to no memory of his father, and Thorin felt guilt for that- despite it being no fault of his, he felt guilt that he could not keep Víli from meeting a grisly fate as many had. Out of his power- and out of his mind, for the moment, as he needed to focus on his youngest nephew, who was looking up at him with still watery eyes. 

 

“Your father loved you, Kíli, and your brother, very much. He wanted to give you both the best life he could, no matter the cost.” Kíli could not understand in its entirety- too young now, but one day he’d be able to grasp the concept. For now, he nodded at his uncle’s words and squirmed away from Thorin, wiping his eyes. 

 

“... Momma misses him.” 

 

“I know.” 

 

“I think Fí does too.” 

 

“I’d imagine so.” 

 

Kíli stood in silence next to his uncle for a moment or two, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Patiently, the elder dwarf waited for the child to say something more, but when Kíli said and did nothing, Thorin shrugged his shoulders and fished out his pipe, deciding to indulge for the moment. Kíli watched his uncle prepare his pipe and start smoking with curious eyes before sitting back beside him and nestling against his side. Whatever comfort it seemed to give him Thorin did not wish to interrupt it. He said nothing, just sat quietly with his youngest nephew curled into his side. 

 

At some point, Kíli dozed off against his uncle- Thorin noticed it after a while and waited a bit longer before carrying the little one back home and tucking him into bed. After that, he sought out his sister, speaking softly to her of what had transpired, and made it a point to be there even more for his nephews in the following days-- weeks-- months-- years.  While he had no intention of replacing Víli, and what he meant (should have meant) to them, Thorin was determined to provide Fíli and Kíli with a father figure- no matter what it took to do so. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are still looking for writers to write up themed chapters for other characters in the Tolkien universe. You can message me at [my side tumblr](http://waywardrogueonao3.tumblr.com) if you'd like.


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